This invention relates to a carrying device, capable of easy formation by folding a blank and which is adapted to retain a potted plant or other article within the enclosure which results when the blank is folded.
Retail sales of many articles often present special packaging requirements and problems. This is particularly so where the item sold is fragile or delicate in nature. Especially in the case of sale of potted plants, the problems are further complicated by the need to assure that the plant remains healthy after packaging and carrying home.
These packaging requirements must be balanced with several physical limitations that generally exist in connection with the packaging of an article for delivery or shipment. For example, the package should not be so complex as to present difficulties in manufacturing or storage. This is important for two reasons. Firstly, if the package is too complex, a seller will be reluctant to use it in favor of a somewhat less effective yet less complex package. Additionally, as the complexity of the package increases, so does the cost of producing such an article. Since the packaging generally represents a fixed cost which must be absorbed within the selling price of an item, it is extremely important to minimize the cost of producing a packaging device.
A further physical limitation for such a package is that, as an incidental part of a sale only, the package should not require an excess amount of storage space since such requirements would necessarily detract from the useful storage and sales space available for the actual business being conducted. Thus it is common practice to utilize a package which may be folded from a blank, the blanks being capable of storage in a flat, stacked fashion prior to use. In developing such a package blank, the complexity of the folding process, as well as the strength of the resulting package must be considered.
As previously mentioned, when the article to be packaged is a plant, still further problems arise. For example, a plant must be placed in a pot or other container provided with soil, generally moist soil. The resulting combination is often rather heavy and requires that any carrying device provided must be sufficiently sturdy to support the weight of the plant and its environment when carried for delivery to its destination. In the case of retail sales, the purchaser must find some convenient method for securely transporting the potted plant without damage to the delicate structure.
A plant requires oxygen and light during packaging and must be physically protected to assure that the plant remains healthy until it arrives at its destination. As a result, it is required that the package be designed with sufficient openings to provide the plant with fresh air and light. However, these open spaces serve to reduce the overall strength of the package, which, as previously mentioned, must be sufficiently sturdy to support relatively heavy contents.
In addition, plants generally require water to remain healthy and therefore most potted plants require moist soil during carrying or shipment. As a result, a certain degree of leakage through the base of the pot is possible. Accordingly, it is desirable that an enclosed base be provided so that escaping water will not cause damage to a surface upon which the package is placed. Again, since leaking water can reduce the strength of the package upon which it leaks, further attention must be paid to providing sufficient support for the contents of the package.
As another consideration, marketing of an article such as a plant often takes place in a rigid paced environment, for example a sidewalk sale or a flower show. As a result, it is desirable to provide a package which may be quickly assembled, is easy to use, and is inexpensive in construction to maximize sales potential.
A carrying device having all of the special characteristics and capability above described is not known to have heretofore existed.